Whenever someone asked for his opinion about a new product or just about anything having to do with his filter optics company, Nat Tiffen would always begin his answer with one question and one question only: “What does the customer want?”
Like his father, Steve Tiffen, who became president and CEO of the Tiffen Company in 1987, still asks the same question. The answers he receives from a dedicated and growing group of those customers, whom the company always referred to as the “engaged image maker,” has helped the company survive the rocky transition from film to digital and to cater to new markets that will fuel future growth.
“The greatest lesson he taught me was to find out what customers want and just give it to them,” Tiffen said from the company's headquarters in Hauppauge, N.Y. “He also told me to strive to grow and stick with what you know. What we know is the engaged image maker, from the advanced amateur photographer to the professional cinematographer.”
Although Steve was the youngest of four siblings, his father, who died in 2006, tapped him to run things because he had a clear vision of how to adapt the company to changing times. “We realized that we needed to move into other products and broaden our base beyond filters.”
Joining the company was never an issue for Tiffen. From the beginning, it created an exciting environment. His father, who spent much of his time in the field visiting customers, would take Steve to the sets of his favorite boyhood shows like “Bonanza” and “Bewitched.” Tiffen remembers Jacques Cousteau calling one night from the deck of the Calypso with a technical question. “He showed me the business in a fun way. He never pushed me,” Tiffen said. “I developed a passion.”
In the early 1980s, when Tiffen was studying political science at George Washington University, his father began expressing concern about increasing competition, especially from Japan, and the direction the company was headed. “My father was the type of person who never asked for help,” he said. “That raised a red flag.”
The day he graduated in 1982, Tiffen hopped in his car, drove back to Long Island and, true to his father's legacy, hit the road with his brother Ira for three weeks to find out what customers needed and how to solve their problems. He and Ira, who is no longer with the company, then focused on marketing, sourcing, lead times and product development. They righted the ship and navigated it through the 1980s.
Then, in 1989, something big happened. Logitech introduced the FotoMan, the first fully digital camera. The Tiffen Company signed on to produce accessories for it. “By 1990, we knew the age of digital photography was here,” he said adding that he realized the new technology would put a lot more cameras in the hands of many more consumers. The shift, though, still proved fatal for many traditional photography and film companies. “The move from film to digital was very traumatic for the industry and left a lot of bodies in the wake,” he said.
Tiffen knew his company had to leverage the trends or die. Many well-respected photo companies that were unsure of the future ended up selling out at good prices. Tiffen jumped on them and during the last 10 years picked up big industry names like Davis & Sanford tripods, Stroboframe flash brackets, Domke Bags, Lowell lighting and Steadicam, to name a few. The company also developed DFX digital filtration software and a line of Cool Photo fx apps for iPhones and iPads. “They've all helped to shape the company,” he said.
Many of those products will continue to shape the company as the world continues to adopt digital technologies and embrace convergence. For example, the Steadycam line, once a niche for cinematographers, now includes the Smoothee for iPhones and Flip cameras. Lowell Lighting's Ego is a tabletop product that's perfect for lighting food and other subjects for websites and blogs. A new generation of photographers and cinematographers—especially those using SLRs with high-definition video capabilities for major productions—are discovering the magic of optical glass filters, which they can match with digital filters for stunning effects. “Those types of products were originally created for professionals and are now finding their way into local markets,” Tiffen said. “There are so many opportunities.”
Digital still and video technology disrupted the photo industry but, over time, Tiffen said, it has created more stability, consistency and predictability in the market. The technology has enabled people to become better shooters, making them more engaged image makers. That places them all squarely within the target audience Nat Tiffen and his brothers, Leo and Sol, aimed at when they started the company in 1938.
“It's a very exciting time to be in the photo business,” Tiffen said. “It's great to play a small role in such an interesting industry.”
